AROUND THE WORLD.

Leaders deny UN Hariri report

March 26, 2005|By Items compiled from Tribune news services.

BEIRUT, LEBANON — Lebanon's pro-Syrian leaders Friday rejected a sharply critical UN report blaming Damascus for stoking tensions that may have led to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, but they grudgingly accepted a UN investigation into the slaying.

The report embarrassed the Lebanese government and its backers, saying Syria's president personally threatened Hariri with harm for his opposition to Damascus' domination and criticizing Lebanon for a halfhearted investigation into who killed him in a Feb. 14 bombing.

But a UN inquiry could be more damaging if aggressive investigators have powers to subpoena officials and carry out searches as the report recommends. It was unclear if the government would consent to broad powers for an investigation.